Experiences and needs of overweight and obese pregnant women

Yvonne Hanson
June 7, 2012
Regina Research Day
 What
do we know about the psychological &
emotional implications of overweight &
obesity in pregnancy?
 How does the social context of women’s lives
affect their experiences of overweight &
obesity throughout pregnancy?
 How do healthcare providers support women
& what are their ideas to improve the system
for women?
 Interviewed
33 individuals: 18 women; 15
health care providers (family doctors, nurses,
ob/gyns, midwives, dieticians)
 Joint study between ACEWH & PWHCE
 Co-researcher – Jennifer Bernier (ACEWH)
 2010-2012 (First year in N.S. included women
only; second year expanded to rural N.S. All
women & hcp were from Saskatoon HR)
 Face-to-face interviews and phone interviews
 Audio podcast (summer 2012)
 Literature
indicates morbidities & comorbidities associated with obesity for
mothers (i.e. gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cesarean birth, postoperative
infection, hypertension, blood clots)
 Also for babies (i.e. stillbirth, macrosomia,
neural tube defect, incidences from
cesarean)
 Pregnancy outcome deteriorates in linear
manner as BMI increases
The Globe and Mail - “Canadian doctors are considering
a policy that would bar obese women from trying to
have babies through fertility treatments – provoking
debate over whether the fat have the same
reproductive rights
as the thin.”
(Sept 20, 2011)
 The
different orientations to maternity
care in Canada has been historical &
political (i.e. midwifery care vs.
physician)
 Stigma of obesity & overweight are
pervasive
 Maternity care providers of all scopes of
practice are both ethically &
professionally obligated
to provide best care possible
“ I was very good during my pregnancy because I
was taking care of somebody else. But once
the baby was born, I wasn’t so good at taking
care of myself. So my nutrition wasn’t
probably as attentive as when I was pregnant.”
(SK woman)
“You see those pictures, beautiful pictures of
pregnant women who are naked & covered up
just so…I guess the biggest thing about weight
and pregnancy was I missed the aesthetics of
looking cute & pregnant. I know that sounds
horribly selfish & shallow but [it’s] the biggest
thing that has affected my mood or feelings
during the pregnancy”
(NS woman)
 18
women interviewed: 11 described
experiences as either neutral or positive
(although all have some negative
experiences)
 Instances
of uncertainty with caregiver –
how to talk about weight?
 Subtleties
of comments or actions
towards stigmatizing behaviour
Two over-riding emotions in interviews:
 self-blame/guilt
 fear
of judgment
 Team
approach to maternity care for women
with overweight/obesity (intercollaborative
practice)
 Information on weight gain & risk needs to
be more systematically shared among all
women, so as not to stigmatize
 An understanding of risk among women with
obesity should be tempered with other
factors (age, pre-existing conditions,
genetics)
 Many obese women have negative
experiences within health care, so sensitivity
important
“I think it is hard for women who are
overweight and obese to really love
their bodies. It’s rare. But you know,
we can kind of stretch that concept a
little bit. And again, going through
the process of giving birth often helps
women to have this more profound
respect for what their bodies are
capable of and how miraculous the
whole process is. And again, helping
them feel like they are doing it. They
have accomplished this great feat.”
- N.S. caregiver, 2012